1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fastener assembly for attachment to fabric material and the like. More specifically, the present invention relates to a fastener assembly that is easily and quickly attached to the fabric material, without use of threads.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fastener assemblies for holding together two or more members are well known in the prior art. As seen in U.S. Pat. No. 589,525 issued to Cornelius Weygandt Garis on Sep. 7, 1897, one common utilization of these assemblies is to connect together two or more sections of fabric material. The fastener assembly of this patent includes first and second interlocking components, both of which have a head portion with a shank and elongated arm extending therefrom. To attach the fastener assembly to the fabric material, the elongated arm of the first component is utilized to pierce and penetrate through the fabric material. After this penetration, the first component is positioned so that its elongated arm engages one side of the fabric material, and its head engages the other side of the fabric material. In this position, an aperture within the head of the first component is aligned with the pierced section of the fabric material. To secure both of the components to the fabric material, the elongated arm of the second component is interlocked to the first component by being passed through both the aperture and the pierced section of the fabric material.
Other fastener assemblies usable with fabric material are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,174,521 issued to George W. Lancaster on Oct. 3, 1939, U.S. Pat. No. 2,306,961 issued to Joseph Kral on Dec. 29, 1942, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,995,792 issued to William D. Morton, Jr. on Aug. 15, 1961. The Lancaster patent shows a detachable button capable of securing to a garment without the use of sewing material. Included in this patent is a first component and a second component, each for positioning upon a different side of the garment. The first component incorporates a shank extending from an elongated plate, and the second component includes a socket integral with a decorative button. The shank of the first component is designed to be pushed through the garment so that it engages, and threads into, the socket of the second component. To prevent rotation of the button relative to the garment, a set of teeth on one of the components protrudes through the garment, and extends into a set of notches arranged within the other component.
The Kral patent illustrates a snap fastener having a flat base and a shank projecting therefrom. The shank is configured for removable securement into the aperture of a supporting panel, and it includes a pair of opposed resilient walls that contract when passing through the aperture. After a portion of these resilient walls have passed completely through the aperture, they expand to frictionally secure the shank within the aperture.
The Morton, Jr. patent discloses a quick release mechanism for releasably holding two elements together to prevent relative movement therebetween. A male member secures to one of the elements, and a female member secures to the other element. The male member includes a plurality of apertures, each for receiving a detent movably secured to the female member. When the detent is positioned within one of the apertures, separation of the male and female members is prevented.
In addition to fastener assemblies usable with fabric material, the prior art discloses fastener assemblies designed specifically for attaching two or more rigid members. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,054,824 issued to John Carlson on Mar. 4, 1913, there is illustrated a one piece fastener assembly for securing together two or more sheet metal members. This fastener assembly includes a shank having a head at one of its ends and a spur at its other end. The portion of the spur adjacent to the shank is substantially wider than the shank, and the portion of the spur remote from the shank tapers to a point. The spur is penetrated through the sheet metal members so that the shank sits within the aperture formed by the passage of the spur. The fastener assembly is then rotated until the sheet metal members are secured between the head of the assembly and the wide portion of the spur.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.